If you practice with a Zen Buddhist teacher and sangha (this is exclusively what is meant by "practicing 'Zen Buddhism' "), then one simply follows the practices that the teacher has prescribed for you, and for the sangha. That is all one has to do.

"Seeking" is not one of the practices. And, it would just take you away from your daily work, therefore. Do you see?

,

--Joe

p.s. There are good psychological reasons, too, not to approach practice with a "seeking", or a "gaining" mind. No need to go into these (as it would be an unnecessary "can-of-worms" to open), since we already know that seeking is a "no-no". Best to leave it unexplored, lest a person develop a perverse interest and become a contrarian.

p.p.s. Also, well, I think you mis-speak. I think it's not said, "Don't seek". What's said is, "There is nothing to seek". That's a little different. It lets you be free to practice fully, without going "outside" of practice. It's an assurance that everything, for you, is in practice, itself. And, there is no outside of practice.

It "comes down to" the same thing: "Don't seek", and "There is nothing to seek". For the reasons I gave.

And you've got to forgive some people for rough paraphrasing of old texts, when trying to make some related point. Not many of us are translators, nor can read the original ancient writing. It sometimes requires some special scholarship to do that.

Anyway, let me propose the following: Since "There is nothing to seek", then, "Don't seek"! That should make perfect sense to you.

To investigate the statement "don't seek" it is helpful to have some understanding of what, why, when and how we seek. If, at this time, you are seeking the meaning of "don't seek" look into the nature of your seeking ... is it a casual curiosity or a deeper questioning ... does it arise in the context of this ZFI or are there strong connections to other aspects of your life ... do you have a mental picture of what not seeking might be ...of what seeking is ... where do seeking and not seeking come from?

These questions might not be your kind of questions of course but I think it is useful to let your own inquiry (however it is expressed) percolate and saturate your seeking/non-seeking self for days, weeks, months ... no hurry. The patient, careful, caring inquiry is the Zen of it, more so than the question itself.

It's recorded that the Ch'an man, Pai-chang (Hyakujo, who is famous in koan-practice circles for his "Fox"), said:

不着不求

"No clinging, no seeking."

--Joe

[this is nice because there's no explanation, no rationale given. So nicely bland. "Just the facts, Ma'am". Just THIS is Zen Buddhism, the radical, "sudden"-path. Else, give the false-mind something to chew on and you just feed further delusion... . Not going to happen, here!This path is a path of Compassion.].

p.s. Turkey is a wonderful country, ...and has wonderful cats! I have one cat from Lake Van. And one cat from the Zoo at Ankara (well, a descendant of one of the Angora cats who were bred there when their numbers became as few as 19 individuals (!) in the early 1960s!). Turkey will not and can not be "punished". Rest easy! Turkey is great. As God is great, and Mohammad, rasul of God, is great. So my Sufi friends have taught me (in 1973-1975).

organizational wrote:a well known story:huike hit Bodhidharma.when he cut off his arm he got the transmission.Then, after he became the second patriarch his head was chopped off!

I know Turkey will be punished, too.i'm sure of this.yet don't know how and when the punishment will come?

organizational wrote:So, if huike did not hit bodhidharma how did his teeth get broken?

The books are lying.

Maybe not. My grasp of "the books" may be loose. My knuckles are not white.

Whatever the case of the supposed violence between Bodhidharma and Huike, at least Huike LIVED ON to be able to transmit the Dharma to yet a new generation beyond Bodhidharma and himself. That's what really counts.

Thus, we have the seed available, in our time, in unbroken lineage, thanks to him, and MANY others.

desert_woodworker wrote:p.s. Turkey is a wonderful country, ...and has wonderful cats! I have one cat from Lake Van. And one cat from the Zoo at Ankara (well, a descendant of one of the Angora cats who were bred there when their numbers became as few as 19 individuals (!) in the early 1960s!). Turkey will not and can not be "punished". Rest easy! Turkey is great. As God is great, and Mohammad, rasul of God, is great. So my Sufi friends have taught me (in 1973-1975).

Founder Treeleaf Zendo, Japan. Member SZBA. Treeleaf is an online Sangha for those unable to commute to a Sangha, w/ netcast Zazen, interaction with other practitioners and teachers & all activities of a Soto Sangha, fully online without charge (http://www.treeleaf.org) Nishijima/Niwa